PANAJI
The Goa government has appointed controversial lawyer Prashant Umrao, a lawyer notorious for spreading malicious and fake news targeting Christians and Muslims via social media as part of its standing counsel in the Supreme Court.
The order appointing Umrao and two others was made public on Tuesday sparking a protest from the Goa Congress who questioned Umrao’s credentials and suitability to represent Goa in the Supreme court.
Umrao was one among three lawyers -- the other two being Abhay Anturkar and Shirin Khajuria -- who were appointed as standing counsel to represent the State.
“We are extremely shocked and disturbed by one of these appointments. An advocate from Uttar Pradesh by the name of Prashant Kr Umrao is one of those appointed. He has been a hate monger, misogynist bigot and a serial fake news peddler for the longest time. He has been using his social media to spew communal venom against the Christian and Muslim communities,” president of the Goa unit of the Congress Girish Chodankar, said.
Umrao’s first shot to fame after he filed a case of disqualification against AAP MLAs in the Delhi High Court that slapped a fine of 50,000 on him for filing a frivolous petition in the High Court.
Umrao has repeatedly targeted minorities including Christians with fake news claiming that “280 orphan minor girls were made pregnant in Teresa missionary orphanage and their babies sent abroad for trafficking”.
Umrao is also facing a case from Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai for claiming that his son was unduly favoured for an admission in Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University through NRI quota and by paying Rs 1 crore.
“Goa has been known for its secular, liberal and progressive values. All Goans live in communal harmony and we have no place for such extremism in our peaceful state. Being represented by such a person and that too before the highest court of the land with such vile and communal mindset, is an insult to the people of Goa. CM Pramod Sawant is making a mockery of our culture and values by appointing him as a legal representative of the state,” Chodankar said.
“We demand immediate withdrawal of the order and would like CM Pramod Sawant to tell us if he is rewarding Adv Prashant Umrao for his communal mentality and if he agrees with his views on Christians and Muslims,” Chodankar said.
